ADELANTO — The Adelanto Elementary School District board has invited Dr. Amy Nguyen-Hernandez to serve as the district’s next superintendent, three days after approving her as the interim.

Dr. Edwin Gomez announced his resignation after three years as superintendent, accepting a position as the Coachella Valley Unified School District Superintendent.

The board took action at its regular May 23 meeting to appoint Nguyen-Hernandez, currently the AESD Chief Academic Officer, as acting superintendent effective June 10, assigning her all of the responsibilities immediately.

The vote was 3-2, with trustees Evelyn Glasper and Christine Turner dissenting, just after a motion made by the same trustees to appoint Elvin Momom — AESD’s interim Chief Personnel Officer and former Victor Valley Union High School District Superintendent — failed.

A special board meeting was held on May 26, three days later, to select and approve an outside firm to conduct a search for AESD’s next superintendent, a process that would cost in the range of $20,000 to $25,000, according to Nguyen-Hernandez. But during discussion, trustee Jason Hughes brought forward a different idea.

“I believe we have our superintendent sitting right here,” Hughes said, naming Nguyen-Hernandez. “People are ecstatic about Amy being superintendent and we need to keep that momentum. We’re going to waste money by choosing somebody outside our district, who doesn’t know anything about our district.”

Trustee Debra Jones added that she has received many message “of praise” since Nguyen-Hernandez’s appointment as interim.

“I believe Dr. Amy Nguyen-Hernandez is particularly brilliant and humble and able to make the connections necessary in our district,” Jones said.

Hughes then made a substitute motion to appoint Nguyen-Hernandez as the superintendent, but Turner suggested instead “give Dr. Nguyen-Hernandez an opportunity to serve in the interim position for a while instead of rushing to judgement.”

Nguyen-Hernandez said she’d like two weeks to consider the offer and Jones responded by making a “substitute on the substitute motion” to appoint one of the search firms, Leadership Associates, “while giving priority to (Nguyen-Hernandez).”

But Turner said “this should have been done in closed session,” and that it would be a Brown Act violation to decide on a “personnel issue” during open session.

Jones disagreed, saying that since the board has not yet taken action to appoint Nguyen-Hernandez, the invitation “is not inappropriate.”

Her motion passed 4-1 with Turner the only “nay,” and the board agreed to agendize the vote on whether to appoint Nguyen-Hernandez or approve a search firm for the June 23 special board meeting.

Charity Lindsey may be contacted at clindsey@vvdailypress.com or 760-951-6245. Follow her on Twitter @DP_Charity.